Liquid soap dispensers



y 16, 1967 R. H. ENSIGN ETAL 3,319,835

LIQUID SOAP DISPENSERS Filed Dec. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN s @0554?- 2507 BY yaw/0 :5 b. 14 000;

ATTORNEY y 6, 1967 R.H. ENSIGN ETAL 3,319,835

LIQUID SQAP DISPENSERS Filed Dec. 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,319,835 LIQUID SUAP DISPENSERS Robert H. Ensign, Bronxville, N.Y., and George H.

Woods, Fair-field, Conn, assignors to American Dispenser Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 515,956 10 Claims. (Cl. 222-180) The present invention relates to a liquid soap dispenser of the type adapted to be secured to a wall.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved liquid soap dispenser of the wall-mounted type.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a new and improved soap dispenser, (1) Which is comparatively simple and compact, (2) which has a housing enclosing a liquid soap tank and part of a soap dispensing valve of the plunger type and free from the pressures resulting from dispensing manipulations, thereby permitting the housing to be constructed with components of ornamental plastic or of material of lesser strength or gauge than would be otherwise required, (3) which is constructed to permit the use of a liquid soap tank of plastic or other non-metallic material, (4) which is constructed to permit its easy assembly and wall mounting and its easy disassembly for tank refilling purposes, and (5) which is constructed to permit the housing to be removed for refilling purposes without disturbing the dispenser valve.

Various other objects of the invention are apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective showing the assembled soap dispenser embodying the present invention mounted on a washroom wall;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the soap dispenser of the present invention partly assembled and ready to have the housing applied to complete the assembly;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the soap dispenser of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section of the soap dispenser taken on lines 4-4 of FIGS. 1 but on a larger scale;

FIG. 5 is a detail horizontal section of the soap dispenser taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section of the soap dispenser taken approximately on lines 66 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 7 is a perspective of a spring constituting a component of the soap dispenser of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the soap dispenser of the present invention comprises generally a wall mounting plate 10, adapted to be secured to a vertical washroom wall A, a mounting bracket 11 in the form of a strap adapted to be secured to the mounting plate and carrying a soap dispenser valve 12 of the well-known plunger type, a tank 13 adapted to contain liquid soap and supported on the mounting strap, and a housing 14 for the mounting strap and the soap tank comprising an enclosure frame 15 and a face plate 16. The assembly is substantially in the shape and form of a comparatively small rectangular box, as shown in FIG. 1.

The mounting plate 10, desirably of stamped metal, comprises a vertical rectangular sheet 17 having a narrow rearwardly extending marginal flange 18. The upper center section 19 of the sheet 17 is stamped with a dished configuration having forwardly converging side walls 20 connecting into an intervening fiat -wall 21 parallel to the main flat body of the sheet and provided with respective holes 22. The sheet 17 has four holes 23 arranged near the corners thereof respectively of the sheet and formed by stamping or dimpling to provide rearwardly extending frusto-conical flanges 24 around said holes. Screws 25 3,319,835 Patented May 16, 1967 with conical heads pass through the holes 23 and are scrlelwed into the wall A to mount the plate 10 on said wa Below the two upper holes 23 respectively, the sheet 17 is lanced and bent forwardly to form two tabs 26 serving to hold the tank 13 down in position on the mounting strap 11. The sheet 17 also has near the bottom thereof two latch holes 27 of horizontally elongated rectangular form for the mounting strap 11.

The mounting strap 11, desirably stamped of metal, is generally U-shaped, and comprises an intermediate vertical front wall section 30, and two horizontal arms 31 and 32 at the top and bottom of said front strap section extending rectangularly therefrom. The upper strap arm 31 terminates at its rear end in a downwardly extending flange 33 shaped with a dished configuration having side forwardly converging Walls 35 provided with respective holes 36 and connecting into an intervening flat wall 37. The dished sections 19 and 33 in the mounting plate 10 and mounting strap 11 are conformably complemental and in assembled position of the soap dispensers are arranged in mating relationship with the holes 22 and 36 in alignment. The holes 22 are tapped to receive screws 38 passing freely through the holes 36 and threaded into the holes 22 to secure the mounting strap 11 to the mounting plate 10. The reason for dishing the sections 19 and 33 of the mounting plate 10 and the mounting strap 11, is to permit a screw driver to be held in a skewed position while turning the screws 38 without interference from the front wall strap section 30.

The bottom strap arm 32 has formed at its rear end to latch books 40 adapted to be caught into the latch holes 27 on the mounting plate 10. In attaching the mounting strap 11 to the wall mounting plate 11, the latch hooks 40 are inserted into the latch holes 27 respectively with the mounting strap tilted forwardly, and the strap is then straightened out against the mounting plate to bring the two dished sections 19 and 33 together with their holes 22 and 36 in alignment. With the mounting strap 11 so positioned, the screws 38 are secured in the holes 22 and 36.

The front wall strap section 30 has a hole 41 near its upper end to receive the dispenser valve 12. The middle part of this front wall strap section 30 has a hole 42 to receive a latch 43 for the tumbler of a key lock to be described, and two small holes 44 by which said latch is secured to said strap section.

The liquid soap tank 13 is desirably formed of plastic material, such as polystyrene or cellulose acetate butyrate. The soap dispenser of the present inventor is so constructed, that the stresses manually applied to the soap dispenser valve 12 in the operation of pumping soap therethrough is not transmitted to the tank 13. This feature permits the tank 13 to be made of plastic material, since these stresses are transmitted to the strong metal mounting strap 11 and not to the tank.

The tank 13 is supported on the bottom arm 32 of the mounting strap 11 and is generally in rectangular form with a front wall 45 provided with a vertical shallow recess 46 across the center of its front face, just slightly wider than the front wall section 30 of the mounting strap 11 to receive snugly therein in nested relationship said strap section 30, and has a deeper recess 47 in said shallow recess 46 to clear the latch 43 secured to the mounting strap 11. The height of the tank 13 is such, that the top of said tank reaches just below the tabs 26 on the mounting plate 10, when the mounting strap 11 with the tank 13 supported thereon is secured in position to the mounting plate 10. With the assembled construction described, the tank 13 'is retained in proper position by and between the mounting plate 10 and the mounting strap 11, while permitting said tank to be removed from said mounting strap 11, when said strap is removed from said mounting plate 10.

The mounting strap 11 not only serves to support the tank 13 and to buttress manipulating pressure applied to the dispenser valve 12, but also serves to support the valve in a manner to form a unit therewith. This dispenser valve 12 comprises a tubular casing 50 enclosing pumping elements designed and operable in the manner well known in the art, as for example, as shown in the 'U.S. Patent No. 2,619,914. The casing 50 has reciprocable therein a spring-pressed plunger 51 with a spout 49 and has a forepart '2 and a rear stem part 53 of reduced external diameter to define an axially facing shoulder 54 on the rear end of said forepart. A non-circular collar 55 having the general shape of an escutcheon and provided with a top straight horizontal edge 56, embraces the rear stem part with a snug conforming keying non-rotatable fit and engages the shoulder 54 on the valve casing 50. The rear stem part 53 of the valve casing 50 passes through the valve mounting hole 41 in the front wall section 30 of the mounting strap 11 with a snug fit, and with the collar 55 abutting the front face of said strap section. A knurled round nut 57 threaded onto the rear stem part 53 of the valve casing 50 abuts the rear face of the front wall section 30 of the mounting strap 11 to removably clamp the valve 12 to the mounting strap 11.

A pipe 60 secured to the inlet side of the valve casing 50 extends downwardly in the liquid soap B in the tank 13 to a position near but above the bottom of the tank.

With the construction described, the mounting strap 11 with the dispenser valve 12 attached thereto can be handled as a unit for the purpose of assembly or disassembly and for the purpose of replenishing the tank when emptied,

The housing 14 for the mounting strap 11 and the tank 13 comprises the enclosure frame and the face plate 16. The enclosure frame 15 is desirably of metal and is rectangular in shape. This frame 15 comprises a top wall 61, a bottom wall 62, and side walls 63. The front marginal sections of these walls 61, 62 and 63 are turned inwardly and rearwardly and are folded to form a forwardly facing border rib 64 framing the face plate and a channel 65 behind said border rib for receiving the marginal section of the face plate 16 and thereby to retain said face plate on said enclosure frame 15. These border rib and channel formations 64 and 65, serve not only the purposes indicated but also serve to rigidize the enclosure frame 15. To further rigidize the enclosure frame 15, the rear marginal sections of the frame walls 61, 62 and 63 are similarly turned inwardly and forwardly and are folded to form channel ribs 66.

Because the facing plate 16 is permanently marginally set in the front channel 65, the enclosure frame 15 is made of two similar parts which are slid over the face plate until they come together in end to end abutment with a joint there-between and which are then secured together by means of a metal plate 67 seated on the bottom frame wall 62 across the joint and spot welded to said bottom wall.

One of the side frame walls 63 has an Opening 68 with a headed plug 70 made of transparent plastic to serve as a window by which the level of the liquid soap in the tank 13 can be observed.

The face plate 16 may be made of metal presenting an attractive appearance, such as stainless steel, but is desirably made of an opaque plastic as shown, which is desirably colored to afford ornamental color contrast between the face plate and the metal enclosure frame 15. This face plate 16 has its marginal edge section 7 1 offset rearwardly to permit said section to nest inside the border channel 65 with its front face substantially in the plane of the front face of the border rib 64.

The face plate 16 is provided in the center and at its upper section with a notch 75 similiar in shape to the escutcheon collar 55 on the dispenser valve 12 but slightly larger to receive said collar in assembled condition of the soap dispenser. The collar 55 has a non-circular conformation, so that the housing 14 is keyed to said collar against rotation in locked position of said housing, and the housing is permitted to he slipped off the mounting strap 11 without interference from the dispensing valve 12 attached thereto.

Secured to the face plate 16 is a key lock 73 having a tumbler extending through a hole 72 in said plate and adapted to be turned by a key in the latch 43 secured to the front wall section 30 of the mounting strap 11. In locked position of the housing 14, the tumbler is locked in the latch 43. When the proper key is inserted in the key lock 73 from the front of the face plate 16 and turned, the tumbler is released from the latch 43 thereby releasing the housing from the mounting strap 11.

In order to make it apparent that the housing 14, when unlocked, can be slipped off the mounting strap 11 without pulling on the dispenser valve 12, a spring is provided between the housing and the mounting strap, acting to push the housing forwardly along the dispenser valve and away from the escutcheon collar 55. This spring 80 is a convoluted wire with a center stirrup loop 81 and two arms 83 radiating outwardly and forwardly from the ends thereof and terminating in bearing knuckle loops 84 respectively in a plane at right angles to the plane of said loop. The loop 81 is straddled over the valve casing 50 and locked between the nut 57 and the rear face of the front wall section30 of the mounting strap 11 with the forwardly slanting arms 83 emerging from behind said strap section 30 and bearing forwardly at their looped ends 84 with biasing pressure against the rear of the face plate 16. When the housing 14 is unlocked and re leased from the mounting strap 11, the spring 80 will push the housing forwardly from the mounting strap and away from the escutcheon collar 55 on the valve casing 50, while being supported by said valve casing. This action and condition will make it apparent to the operator that the only manipulation necessary to completely remove the housing is to simply pull it forwardly away from the mounting strap 11 and away from the dispenser valve 12.

It is seen that the dispenser of the present invention has large soap capacity for its size. Also, the mounting strap 11 supporting the dispenser valve 12 independently of the housing permits this valve to be operated with a great deal of manual force, without transmitting this force to the housing. The mounting strap 11, although small in size and gauge, is structurally well suited to withstand the heavy compressive forces thereon engendered by the operation of the plunger 51.

The housing 14 is of simple construction and its removal does not disturb the dispenser valve 12 or the tank 13. Since the housing 14 is not subjected to stresses during soap pumping action, it may be made of light gauge and may be provided with a plastic face plate 16 as described. Also, different face plates 16 of different coloration and facial design or appearance may be provided with the same basic dispenser components.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to a specific embodiment, it is to be understood that it is not to be limited thereto but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid soap dispenser comprising a mounting plate having means for attachment to a wall, a mounting bracket in the form of a U-shaped strap secured to said mounting plate and having an upstanding front wall section spaced from said mounting plate and upper and lower arms extending rearwardly to said mounting plate and connected thereto, a soap dispenser valve secured to the front wall section of said bracket and having a reciprocable plunger extending transverse to said mounting plate, whereby the dispensing manipulating forces on said valve are transmitted to said mounting plate through said arms, a soap tank supported on said lower arm between said mounting plate and said front wall bracket section, a housing enclosing substantially the entire tank and said bracket and having a front wall with a hole through which said valve extends, and means removably securing said housing in position.

2. A liquid soap dispenser as described in claim 1, in which said front housing wall faces the front wall section of said bracket and is closely adjacent thereto, and said housing securing means comprises means removably connecting said front housing wall to said front wall bracket section.

3. A liquid soap dispenser as described in claim 1, in which said mounting bracket is substantially in rectangular form, said tank is substantially rectangular in shape, and said housing is of substantially rectangular form, whereby the soap dispenser is in the shape and form of a substantially rectangular box.

4. A liquid soap dispenser as described in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises an enclosure frame having a peripheral wall and open at its front end, and a face plate separate from said frame and covering its front end, said face plate constituting said front wall of the housing and being supported against the front wall section of said bracket in face to face relationship thereto.

5. A liquid soap dispenser as described in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises an enclosure frame of metal having a peripheral wall and open at its front end, and a face plate of plastic separate from said frame and covering its front end, said face plate constituting said front wall of the housing and being supported against the front wall section of said bracket in face to face relationship thereto, said mounting bracket being made of metal, and said housing securing means securing said face plate to the front wall section of said mounting bracket.

6. A liquid soap dispenser as described in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a rectangular enclosure frame of metal having top, bottom and side walls with front marginal sections turned and folded inwardly and rearwardly to form a forwardly facing border rib and a channel behind said rib, and a face plate separate from said enclosure frame and closing the front end of said enclosure, said face plate constituting said front wall of the housing, the marginal section of said face plate extending into said channel, and said face plate being framed by said border rib, said face plate being supported again the front wall section of said bracket in face to face relationship thereto, said housing securing means securing said face plate to the front wall section of said mounting bracket.

7. A liquid soap dispenser as described in claim 1, the front wall of said housing facing the front wall section of said mounting bracket and disposed closely adjacent thereto, said housing securing means including key-controlled means for releasably locking said housing to the front wall section of said mounting bracket, said dispenser comprising spring means between the front wall section of said mounting bracket and said front housing wall for moving said housing forwardly away from said bracket automatically upon the key-release of said locking means.

8. A liquid soap dispenser as described in claim 1, said mounting bracket being of metal and said tank being made of plastic.

9. A liquid soap dispenser as described in claim 1, said tank having a front wall with an upright shallow recess on its front side, the front wall section of said mounting bracket being nested in said recess and retaining thereby said tank in position against displacement across the front wall section of said mounting bracket.

10. A liquid soap dispenser as described in claim 1, said mounting bracket substantially of rectangular fonn being made of metal, said tank being substantially rectangular in shape and open at the top, said tank being of material other than metal, said housing being of substantially rectangular form, whereby the soap dispenser is in the shape and form of a substantially rectangular box, said housing comprising an enclosure frame of metal having a peripheral wall and open at its front end, and a face plate of plastic separate from said frame and covering its front end, said face plate constituting said front wall of the housing and being supported against the front wall section of said mounting bracket in face to face relationship thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 602,195 4/1898 Pfau 248-224 X 1,887,881 11/1932 Blattner 221'83 X 2,407,765 9/1946 Palmer 222-340 X 2,583,688 1/1952 Dobkin 222 X 2,946,838 7/1960 Bellek 248-223 X 3,037,730 6/1962 Knoll et a1. 248-224 X 3,187,954 6/1965 Hammer et al. 222183 X 3,233,787 2/1966 Ross 222-180 X ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LIQUID SOAP DISPENSER COMPRISING A MOUNTING PLATE HAVING MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT TO A WALL, A MOUNTING BRACKET IN THE FORM OF A U-SHAPED STRAP SECURED TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND HAVING AN UPSTANDING FRONT WALL SECTION SPACED FROM SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND UPPER AND LOWER ARMS EXTENDING REARWARDLY TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND CONNECTED THERETO, A SOAP DISPENSER VALVE SECURED TO THE FRONT WALL SECTION OF SAID BRACKET AND HAVING A RECIPROCABLE PLUNGER EXTENDING TRANSVERSE TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE, WHEREBY THE DISPENSING MANIPULATING FORCES ON SAID VALVE ARE TRANSMITTED TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE THROUGH SAID ARMS, A SOAP TANK SUPPORTED ON SAID LOWER ARM BETWEEN SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND SAID FRONT WALL BRACKET SECTION, A HOUSING ENCLOSING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE TANK AND SAID BRACKET AND HAVING A FRONT WALL WITH A HOLE THROUGH WHICH SAID VALVE EXTENDS, AND MEANS REMOVABLY SECURING SAID HOUSING IN POSITION. 